Bobbin for knitting yarn and the like



Dec. 12, 1950 J. GOMBERG BOBBIN FOR KNITTING YARN AND THE LIKE FiledJune 3, 1949 INVENTOR. ([4005 Gamma HT7'0RNEY Patented Dec. 12, 1950UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BOBBIN FOR KNITTING YARN AND THE LIKE Jacob,Gomberg, Chicagmlll.

Application June 3, 1949,, Serial'No. 97,031

31 Claims. 1.

This invention relates to bobbins upon which a worker in needlecraft maywind a supply of yarn, thread or. the like in order that the worker maydraw, from such supply, the amount of material required as the workprogresses.

In the drawings Fig. 1 shows the bobbin in full Fig. 2 is a section onthe line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an end view of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is anopposite face view; Fig. 5 is a detailed sectional View, and Fig. 6" isa similar view of the opposite side to that shown in Fig. 5 with agreater separation between the parts in order to show some of thedetails of construction.

The bobbin consists of two members i and 2, which are circular andgenerally disk shaped. Each of the members, i and 2, is provided with aperipheral lip 3, which lips are spaced apart. Each of said members iand 2 is also provided with a peripheral rim Q--5, which rims contactunder certain conditions of adjustment of the members I- and 2. Themember I is provided with a sleeve (5 and the member 2 with a. hub T,the hub T fitting within the sleeve 5, whereby the two members i and Zare maintained for relative axial and transversemovements. The sleeve 6'is provided with two oppositely arranged slots 89, whichslots'communicate with the outside central portion of the-member l. Thecentral portion of the member is provided with: two

raised or-ca-m surfaces iii-4i positioned. on opposite sides of theoutside ends of the slots 89. The hub 1 is provided, at its free end,with a pair of outstanding lugs l2i3 and at its base with two pairs ofspaced ears i-l5 and iii-IT, which lugs are in line with thespacebetween the two corresponding sets of ears i l-95 and |'6 '|T'. Thesleeve- 6 is provided with two sets of upstanding fingers i3-i9 andEfi-Zl positioned at the edges of the slots 8-9. The raised portion orcam iii has itsthin edge. 2'2. facing the slot 2, which thin edge ishowever spaced from the slot 3 providing a flat ledge 23. The thickportion of the cam it: is substantially flush with the nearest edge ofthe slot 9. The thin edge 24 of the raised portion or cam H faces theslot 9; which thin edge is however spaced from the slot 9 providing aflat ledge 25. The thick portion of thecam H is substantially flush withthe nearest edge of the slot 8. The device is assembled and operated asfollows.

The members i and 2 are assembled by inserting the lugs I2-I3 into theslots 8-9 and pressing the members i and 2 toward each other. The rims4-5 in this position will not contact inasmuch as the fingers 18-49 and2li-2l contact the ears I4'l5 and iiH-, thereby retaining the rims inslightly spaced relation, as shown in Fig. 5. The lugs l.2l.3, when theparts are in this; position, have passed entirely through the slots 89and overlie the planes,- in which the ledges 23-25 are positioned. Themembers I and 2 are then given a slight rotary motion which causes thefingers |'8--l' 9- and 2lI-2l to move off of the ears i 4'-l 5 and I l-Tandat the same time permits the lugs i-2--!3 to pass freely over theledges 23-25 and' ride up upon the raised portions: or cams Hie-H Thelugs l'2-I-3- will continue to-travel under the rotary motion ofthe-members i' and 2 in contactwith the cams until the rims i-5'a-re incontact; llhe position of the parts thus described may. be termed theclosed or normal relation of the parts. The user of the device, whenshe' desires to wind, for instance yarn, thereon, t'o-make. it availablefor knitting, must manipulate the. de:- vice in order to separate-therims i'5l and provide a peripheral slot. through which the yarn may bewound around the sleeve 6. Theuser, in order to provide suchslot, givesthe two members I and 2 relative motion, so.v moving them asfar'aspossible, or until-one of. thefingers of the sets I8-2I contact one ofthe: ears Hit-I11. During such manipulation the rimsv 4e.5: willcontact, and the lugs |-2l3 will move from: a high spot on thecamsto-positions over thezledges 2325,- assuming a position in spacedrelation to such ledges. Outward pull on thetwo: memibers-l and 2 willpermit a separationof therims 45 until the lugs I2l3 contactv the ledges2-32-5, thereby causing the rims. zl.5 to assume a spaced position andopening up a peripheral slot between the rims. (See Fig. 5..) Contact ofthe lugs I2l3 with the.1edges.23r25 will retain the members i and 2 invthe spaced relation and secure them against separating entirely. Theoperator may then wind the yarn through the slot formed by the rims 45in such amount as desired, (see Fig. 2), but not beyond the flat portionof the members I and. 2: which is indicated by the word Full in Fig. 1.It is important that the yarn be wound very loosely, thatis, withoutanytension whatsoever. In'the first place, it is desirable'in winding yarnthat pulling strain should not be exerted as such strain tends to damagethe yarn, and further, insofar as the operation of the bobbin isconcerned, it is necessary that the yarnbe so loosely wound in orderthat the convolutions: may be pressed toward each other whenthe deviceis subsequently closed. This could not be done if the yarn were woundtightly in the bobbin.

Theuser, after the desired amount of. yarn has been Wound into thebobbin, severe the yarn from the source of supply and permits the. freeend of the-yarn, wound in the bobbin, to protrude slightly beyondthe-edge of'the lips 3'. (See Fig. 2.) It is now desirable to close thedevice in order that the free end of the. yarn is rasped between therims 45.- This is accomplished by pressing the members I and-2' towardeach other, which causes the convolutions of yarn to be pressed" towardeachother. The user then rotates the members I' and 2=asfar astheywillgo, which causes the lugs l2l3 to pass from their positions tact, asexplained in connection with the normal position of the parts, but willbe separated a distance equal to the thickness of the portion of theyarn which is grasped between the rims. It is therefore apparent thatthe distance apart of the rims 4-5 is determined by the thickness of theyarn. The grasp of the yarn between the rims 4-5 permits the bobbin tobe handled by lifting or hanging it from the yarn which extends .beyondthe rims.

A multiplicity of such bobbins maybe used in "doing knitting. Thus, forinstance, in knitting multicolored argyle socks, a number of suchbobbins, each carrying a difierent colored yarn may be utilized and asthe knitter requires a particular colored yarn, it may be withdrawn fromthe proper bobbin by holding that portion of yarn, which is connected tothe work which is already knitted, with one hand and supporting thebobbin with the other hand and rotating it in order to draw the requiredamount of additional yarn through the narrow slot as shown in Fig. 2. Inthe alternative, the bobbin may be manipulated to space the rims 4-5apart, the required amount of yarn withdrawn and the bobbin then lookedto agan grasp the yarn.

The winding of the yarn into the bobbin may be carried out by holdingone end of the yarn over a lip 3 and then, while so holding the yarn,make a few windings to anchor the yarn and then release the held end,inserting it through the slot and continue winding, whereby the free endwill ultimately be included in the winding. In the alternative the twohalves of the bobbin may be entirely separated, the end of the yarn maythen be laid into and across the slots 89, the other member, thenassembled, by inserting the lugs l2l3 into the slots 89, whereby theyarn at its end portion is thrust through to the outside of the membercarrying slots 89, whereby such end is anchored in place and windingcontinued as heretofore explained.

The knitter, after experience with the use of the bobbin, will developthe ability to place just enough bite on the yarn to permit withdrawalof yarn by jiggling the bobbin from the portion of the yarn immediatelyprotruding from the lips 3.

The invention has been described in connection with knitting, but it isevident that the bobbin may be utilized to make available a supply ofother yarns, threads and cords.

The bobbins of this invention may be molded from polystyrene, vulcanizedrubber or any material which will not warp or shrink, inasmuch asmaterials which tend to warp or shrink lose their contour and cause therims 5 to move out of contact and out of alignment. 7

When yarn is wound between the members i and 2 and the two members arepressed together, thereby compacting the yarn between them, theresiliency of the yarn tends to act as a spring exerting suificientoutward pressure to keep the lugs l2-l3 in contact with the cam surfacesl0l I.

The device has been shown utilizing two lugs 82-43 and two cams lO-l I,but may be made with but a single cam and a single lug, for instance,the lug l2 and the cam It]. In such a modification, the rims on thatside of the device which is provided with the lug will close to theextent shown in Fig. 2 and grasp the yarn, but the portion of the rimson the side on which there is no lug and no cam will not tend to graspthe yarn and the yarn will run freely therethrough until it reaches theportion of the rims under the influence of the cam and there catch andhold.

I claim:

1. In a bobbin for holding wound yarn, or the like, in combination, apair of oppositely disposed members mounted to axially move in respectto each other, spaced apart peripheral lips on said members, peripheralrims on said members below said lips, a sleeve on one of said members, ahub on the other member, said hub fitting within said sleeve, slots insaid sleeve communicating with the outside of the member carrying saidsleeve, a pair of oppositely inclined cams, one of each of said camsbeing disposed at opposite sides of the outside edges of said slots, apair of outstanding lugs, at the free end of said hub, slidable in saidslots, and when said members are assembled and axially moved, havingrelative movement with respect to said cams, a pair of upstandingfingers at the inner edges of said slots, two pairs of spaced cars atthe base of said hub, said fingers, when the members are assembled andthe rims are in contact, lying in the path of movement of said ears.

2. In a bobbin for holding wound yarn, or the like, in combination, apair of members axially arranged for relative movement in the path of anarc, and toward and away from each other, one of said members beingprovided with a cam surface, the other member being provided with a lug,said lug when the members are moved in one direction in the path of sucharc, riding over said cam and moving said members toward each other,said members when said lug is free of said cam being separable to form aperipheral slot therebetween.

3. In a bobbin for holding wound yarn, or the like, in combination, apair of members axially mounted for relative movement, one of saidmembers being provided with a slot extending through each other.

JACOB GOMBERG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the UNITEDSTATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,215,525 Hansen Feb. 13, 1917 2,301,920Sadler Nov. 1'7, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 186,485 GreatBritain Oct. 5, 1922

